BBC Radio 1 have been ordered to play more new music on their daytime shows as they battle with streaming services

Media regulator Ofcom has told Radio 1 that it must increase the amount of new music played on the network.

The radio regulator has set the new music output at 50%, with the aim to ensure that the station is featuring ‘a significant proportion of new and emerging UK artists’. This figure is a 5% increase on an original proposal put forward last year.

The increased influence of the streaming environment has made the situation a difficult one for broadcasters and regulators as the traditional fixed release date of a track has become more casual. It is very rare that broadcasters play a track before it has been featured on an influential playlist.

Playlists and data-based A&R music scouting platforms, like TalentAI, have become a primary source of fast-growing emerging music.

Despite having a positive premise, many are confused by Ofcom’s definition of new music: ‘a period of 12 months from first release or six weeks from the date it first enters the Top 20’. There are currently 8,212 playlists with over 10,000 followers on Spotify, each of which is featuring brand new music and enjoying growing tastemaking influence.

Playlisters are also looking to innovate in the space; just yesterday, Spinnin’ Records revealed a full rebranding of its top playlists to make them more compatible with the streaming age and voice-activated technology.

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